Past Mistakes
by Slayer583
Summary: Becoming Hunters. That's the dream that Kyra, Nalini, Fenrir and Riley share. Of course things can't be that simple.
1. The Wolf

**Fenrir**

I awoke with a start, but ever so slowly at the same time. A repetitive jostling throughout my body startled me enough to open my eyes. I was swept with confusion as the sleep left my eyes and the images came into focus. Burning trees. Destroyed homes. Bodies and blood. I gasped as I realized what I was witnessing, and a sharp pain stabbed my chest, causing me to flinch. Father, who I now noticed was carrying me away from the village, noticed my movement.

"Fen, it'll be okay. I'll get you help. Just hang on, son." He had to shout to be heard over the raging flames and yelling voices behind him. Smoke, which had been filling my lungs ever since I was unconscious I assume, was burning my throat and eyes. I occasionally coughed, which only served to send shocks of pain throughout my torso. I tried to talk back to father, to ask him about mother, but my throat was dry and my body weak. Instead, as the pain in my chest grew, and the fear in my heart multiplied, I clung to my father's shirt and quickly passed out again.

As I opened my eyes, it was a time much later. I stood in front of my father, anger coursing through my veins, hands gripping the daggers I myself had forged not even one year prior. "How could you do that to our home? Our family?" I asked him, tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. "How could you do that to mother?" As he heard the words escape my lips, he let out a sigh. "Your mother was stubborn and refused to listen to me. I tried to save both you and her, but she had to follow the clan's stupid rule. She wouldn't support me." He nonchalantly inspected his blade. "I was supposed to become the Alphamale. I was the strongest. But no, 'father' had to go and choose Adolpheus to be his heir. That sniveling little cub couldn't fight his way past a pack of Beowolves, let alone lead our clan. Tell me, son, do you call that justice? Do you think that was really for the good of the clan?" His gruff voice called out to me, but I barely heard the words. I bared my fangs and slowly walked towards him. "That's it? Jealousy? You slaughtered our family because of jealousy?" My heart hammered in my chest, adrenaline pumping in preparation.

As I neared him, he readied his weapon again pointing it straight at my chest. "I don't want to fight you, son. You are still my cub, and I love you with all that I am, but I will cut you down if you turn your blades against me for revenge." A smirk snuck its way across my lips, which he saw clearly as I neared ten feet away at this point. "You think this is for revenge old man?" His face didn't change, but his eyes reflected confusion. His scent was that of uncertainty. In that moment his arm twitched, just a fraction of an inch, but it was enough. I sprinted forwards, raising the dagger in my left hand and knocking his sword away as my right dagger pierced his sorry hide just underneath the sternum. He hadn't even noticed my movement in the split second it took to do that.

Crimson bloomed from the new wound in his chest and a mix of surprise and fear flooded his face as the pain set in. "Fenrir, I-" "Shut up, traitor." I silenced him. I twisted the knife, enjoying the agony in his pained groans. "You think this is for revenge, father? You think I 'm doing this for mother? No, I'm much more practical than that." I quickly pulled my right dagger from his chest and swept behind him, stabbing his thighs and kicking him to the ground. A dark smile crept across my face as I grabbed his hair and pulled his head back to face me. "I'm doing this because you know nothing of sacrifice for the pack. You could've just challenged your brother to a simple little duel after a month or so, but you had to let your disgusting pride get in the way. Pathetic."

As blood pooled beneath him and his breathing became more and more laboreous, I decided it was time to go. I released his head and fetched his sword. "The pack comes before all, father. Had you known that, you'd still hold the love of your son and the respect of your people. Now you're just a corpse. May the ancestors have mercy on your soul." I took his sword and walked away, leaving his body there to rot as his last breath escaped his lungs. As I reached the edge of the forest, my heart was heavy but satisfied. The clan had been avenged, the traitor punished. All was right in my little part of the world.

At that moment, though, a strange atmosphere filled the air. I heard... _something._ It was like nothing I'd ever heard before. It was silent, almost impossible to make out, but I heard the lowest thump from the forest if I held my breath. Whatever it was, it had no scent. As it neared, I even heard a very feint heartbeat. The beats were few and far between, but they were there. I turned to investigate, but I turned much too late. I was face to face with what some would call a demon. Its eyes shown white and its fangs were stained in crimson. Its fur, matted and filthy, seemed to be made of screaming faces, twisted and contorted in pain. I was frozen with fear, forced to do nothing but stare at this creature I'd never seen before. "Are you... Are you one of the Ancients?" I whispered, remembering the tales of the elders from my village. As horrifying as its form was, nothing filled me with terror more than its voice. Like thousands of lost souls begging for their lives back, its voice hissed, "_No, Fenrir. I am Vengeance._" And with that, it rose on its hind legs, reaching several heads taller than me, and forced its claws deep inside my chest.

I awoke screaming in my bed, a cold sweat covering my body and staining the sheets. I jerked my head around the room, looking for the demon, but I found nothing and sighed with relief. "Just a dream. It was only a dream," I panted as I stood up and looked in the mirror. My gray eyes were sunken with bags and my hair was soaking wet as it stuck to my head in odd angles. The red streaks were overlapping and twisting as the rest of my messy black hair reached as far away from my head as it possibly could. I sighed and threw off the dirty clothes I'd slept in and jumped in the shower, attempting to look at least a little decent. I finished, packed my stuff and left the apartment complex. I wouldn't need it after today. I was staying at Beacon now.


	2. The Diligent

**Kyra**

I finished packing my bags early this morning, around two or three to be precise. I wasn't up anyways. I was much too excited and there was too much to do. Pack, make sure Lyss and Ilya were properly polished, double check the packing, determine what outfit I was going to wear the next day, triple check the packing, and finally I had to have my late night practice session. Didn't want my skills getting rusty, did I? Mom had said I was leaving for Beacon around seven, so I ended practice a little early at five, and spent the next two hours preparing for the no-doubt long day that was ahead of me. I met my parents outside the house, bright-eyed as usual. My parents smiled as I walked out of the house and met them by the car.

"Look at that," dad smiled, "My little girl is all grown up." "Oh stop it, dear," mom responded, walking towards me and giving me a hug. "Did you actually sleep last night?" I'm sure she knew the answer already, but I still hugged her and answered just the same. "I haven't slept a wink in three days. You know that." She nodded with a smile as she pulled away. "You never did like sitting still," she remembered and led me to the car. As the car door shut beside me and my parents entered the car, I stared back at my house. It wasn't the biggest, it wasn't the smallest, but it was home. Even if I'd trained for years for this moment, a pang of sadness still tugged at my heart as I thought about leaving home. I started playing with my hair, the short platinum blonde strands hanging around my jaw line always enticed me when I was unhappy.

"Last chance to change your mind." Dad said as he noticed me in the rearview mirror. I glanced one more time at home and fiddled with the weapons in their holsters. "No. I'm ready to go." It came out as a sigh, showing my reluctance. I wanted to go, but I'd definitely miss home. With that, dad started the car and we were on our way. After I'd messed with just about everything in the car to entertain myself (hair, clothing, mom's hair, my guns, the car seat, the windows, just about everything) I finally just started watching the scenery outside. I was bouncy, so I didn't really pay too much attention to the scenery, but I noticed my reflection in the window. My hair, usually uneven and really messy, was ever-so-slightly combed down to make me somewhat presentable, but it gave an excellent view of the jagged scar that arced down my left eye. It had the likeness of a powerful lightning bolt and I found it very fitting. Lightning always seemed to intrigue me ever since I was a child, so I never really complained. It's what inspired the tattoo I'd gotten a few months ago on the corner of my right eye of a pentagram with lighting striking the center.

At that moment, the car stopped. "We're here, love." Mom said, turning back to face me. Were we? I hadn't even noticed. I looked out the right window, nearly pressing my nose against the cold glass, and there they were. The giant flying boats that took the students to Beacon were right in front of me. I always thought they looked silly, but I was stunned seeing them now. Before I knew it I was out of the car and taking slow small steps toward them. "Hey, Kyra, I know you're excited, but you may want to bring your bags." I jumped a little as the voice broke me from my staring and turned around to see mom and dad each holding one of my bags. I smiled, gave them both a big hug, told them I loved them, and slowly boarded the ship, not looking back until I was on. They were still standing there, waving with big smiles on their faces. I waved back until the doors closed and the ship departed. Finally, I was on my way to Beacon.

I made my way up to the deck and just watched all the students who were heading to Beacon with me. Hundreds of students were on my boat alone, and there were several others flying beside us. The entire thing, while not over my head, was amazing to me. The Grimm didn't stand a chance with this many people becoming Hunters and Huntresses, right? I walked a few steps forwards, but then someone bumped into my shoulder, causing me to drop my bag.

"Hey!" I called after the silhouette, noting that his black hoodie was pulled up, but he refused to turn around. I reached down to pick up the fallen bag, but someone else reached it before me. The man stood up with my bag and held it out for me. "Looks like you dropped this." His voice was deep but smooth, and he the smile on his lightly bearded face instantly cheered me up. "Yeah, thanks! I'm Kyra." I told him as I took my bag back. Now that we were standing, I noticed he was really tall. He was well built, but dressed in loose-fitting so you couldn't tell unless you were actually looking. He wore a small leather jacket that stopped at the waist, a white shirt underneath, and simple baggy jeans. Certainly very modest, or maybe he just preferred being comfortable.

"Riley," he said, pulling out a headband and tying it around his head, keeping the hair out of his eyes. "You know that guy?" he asked, gesturing in the direction the hooded man had walked. "Not in the slightest. I was just about to go see what his problem is." Riley cracked another smile and his brown eyes seemed to shine. "Good luck. I think I'll set this out and let you handle it. I'm about to go find somewhere and hit the hay." He waved goodbye and walked away and I set out looking for the hooded man.

Several minutes passed before I finally found him leaning on the railing, looking out into the sky. I slowly walked next to him and mimicked his position a few feet away. Absentmindedly I tapped on the railing as I turned to face him. "Hey." I waited a few seconds, but no response. "I, uh, just wanted to know what's up. You bumped into me back there and didn't even apologize." "Sorry." he finally sighed, but didn't say anything else. He didn't even turn to face me. "Well... It's fine, I just wanted you to know-" "Could you please stop?" he interrupted, finally turning towards me. His eyes were gray and proud and his hair was an onyx black with bright red streaks, breaking up the monotony of the abyss as it were. Honestly, I was a little intimidated, but that only edged me on more.

"Excuse me?" My voice was a little bit more hostile than intended, but he kind of pissed me off. I couldn't really put my finger on why, though. "The tapping. It's driving me crazy." I cringed apologetically as I pulled my hands away from the railing. "Sorry, I'm a little nervous and I'm always hyper and I just need to-" "No offense, but I don't want to hear it. I'd like to be left alone right now if you don't mind." I clenched my teeth and gave him a dirty look as he turned away, but I complied and left. Maybe I could find Riley again before we landed.


	3. The Princess

**Nalini**

I stood on the deck of the ship, Heaven's Breaker weighing heavily on my back as I looked out over the the clouds. Beacon was finally coming into view, but we still had about twenty minutes until we landed. I decided to wait inside the ship so I could set the large claymore down for a while. I tired of the stared I kept receiving for my unusual appearance as well.

Father had wanted me to dress my best for my first day at the famous Hunter academy, but I thought the outfit he chose was much too flashy. The sleeveless silk top clung to my body tightly and the four or five sashes hung around my waist did little but weigh me down as my black leggings had no need for a belt. At least father let me wear my favorite pair of boots. The heels were probably much too high and one of the clasps on a strap was close to falling off, but I loved wearing them nonetheless.

As I opened the cabin door, a warm breeze brushed against my cheeks. I hadn't noticed how cold it was in the air, but I was relieved to be inside now. I seemed to enter a sort of waiting room, several chairs and a couch were set along the walls, each filled unfortunately. The couch, on the otherhand, held only one person who appeared to be... Sleeping? I slowly made my way over to the figure. As his snores became audible I had my answer. It was a little ironic seeing as his clothing was adorned with blazing suns. They only thing resembling night were the stars around one side of the sun on his upper arms. His large figure, sound asleep, was just big enough to cover the entirety of the large sofa. I sighed and preapologized in my head.

"E-excuse me? Sir?" I placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly as the soft words passed my lips. Thankfully his eyes opened almost immediately in response. "Hm? Wha-? Are we there yet?" He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, allowing me a chance to sit down. "Not yet, but soon." I responded, setting Heaven's Breaker next to the sofa. "Why were you sleeping?" He gave a big yawn and stretched before answering with a simple "Why not?" Couldn't argue with that. I giggled softly in response and extended my hand. "I'm Nalini. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He grasped it gently, a surprise seeing as his hands were much bigger than mine, and with a smile on his face said, "Th' name's Riley." Getting a closer look, I could see the sides of the suns that the stars surrounded housed a crescent moon, and he wore a sash around his waist, the same as me.

"You're not from Vale, are you?" I asked him innocently. He shook his head. "I'm from the northern kingdom." A smile spread across my face. "Would you believe me if I said I was too?" He smiled back as he realized what I was saying. "No, really? You're serious?" He seemed kind of excited to hear that. "Absolutely. My father is Saihas Kilna." Riley's eyes seemed to bulge out of his head and he had a very hard time articulating words. "You're... You're _the_ Nalini Kilna? Heiress to the Kilna fortune? Like.. That Nalini Kilna?" he stammered. I nodded in response. He just winked, cracked a smile and laid back in the chair. "Not bad." I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Thank you for not apologizing for being so nonchalant. I'd like to try and be a normal student here." "Don't worry, I hear Weiss Schnee is attending this year as well, so she should hog all the attention." I let out a sigh of relief. Last thing I wanted was to be the center of attention for the next four or five years.

"Please prepare for docking. We have reached Beacon Academy. Please exit the ships in a reasonable manner." The voice over the intercom said. I looked out the window behind us and saw that we were, in fact, just about to dock at Beacon. Riley said he wanted to beat the crowd, so he went on ahead. I decided to wait until everyone else left and pass the time alone. I decided to go wait by the balcony again, being sure not to forget my beloved Heaven's Breaker. As the crowd thinned, I pulled out my balancing stones that I'd loved since I was a kid and slowly began focusing on them. After a couple seconds, they slowly began floating and turning around each other in the air. They spun, twisted and danced rhythmically as I controlled them and smiled to myself. At least until someone grabbed one of them.

"How were you doing that?" The man asked, his gray eyes staring intently at the rock. A black hoodie was tugged over his head, revealing a deep red shirt underneath. A scabbard hung from his back, and I could see a sword handle sticking out from behind his right shoulder. His baggy pants were completely black cargo pants, the pockets apparently close to full as each one was bulging. Daggers rested on his belt, and several smaller knives adorned the untouched space beside them. All in all, father would've described him as much too rogue-is for my circle of friends. I was instantly intrigued. "I'm a dust mage. I was just getting a little practice in as the crowds died out." He looked at me quizzically. "Don't you need, you know, dust for that?" I smiled softly and showed him a small pouch I keep hidden under my sashes. "Just in case. You don't need much at all for this anyways." He nodded and apologetically handed the stone back before turning around. "Wait!" I called as I instinctively grabbed his arm. He turned to face me, a confused look on his face mirroring how I felt. Why did I do that? I didn't know this guy. "Do you... Want to walk together? I don't know anybody and I'm kind of shy, so it'd be nice to have a friend..." I quickly made up. The story seemed to satisfy him, though, as he shrugged and waited for me to follow him.

"Fenrir?" "Nalini?" We said each others names in sync. Neither of us had heard names like the others before, and we both laughed as we heard each other. "I'm from the northern kingdom. What about you?" "Me and my... father... lived out in the woods my entire life. I came here after he passed away." His eyes didn't show sadness, and his voice didn't portray any, but I couldn't help but feel a little sad. I thought about saying "I'm sorry," but it wouldn't have changed anything, so I just stayed quiet. I looked around and noticed the people walking and talking. I noticed a park over by the edge of the path, and to my surprise, I saw Riley. I almost called out to him, but he was sitting with someone who seemed to be glaring in our general direction. "Oh no, not her again," Fenrir muttered to my side. I looked and saw he was looking right at the girl Riley was sitting with. She was small, maybe even smaller than me, and she couldn't seem to sit still. She played with her messy blonde hair or tapped the bench, the entire time looking furious. "I take it you two know each other?" "Nope. Not even a little bit. Can we get out of here?" He quickly spat out, taking my hand and walking faster. I felt my face turn red. Father never let boys anywhere near me, let alone allow them to touch my hands or pull me with them. It was an exhilarating moment.

I lost track of where we went and how long it took us, but eventually we reached a large stadium where students seemed to be filing in, and that was enough for Fenrir. He gently pulled me inside and we got lost in the crowd. "Good, anywhere away from her is good," he said to himself. I gave his hand a small squeeze and that seemed to startle him. He quickly pulled his hand away, blushing lightly, and apologized quickly. "No, no, it's totally fine," I assured him with a smile. He seemed to accept that, but I could tell he was still uncomfortable. Neither of us could work up the nerve to say anything, and we sat there in silence as the rest of the students filled in. Chatter and casual conversation was heard from every angle, and I could barely understand my own thoughts. Finally, though, two figures walked onto the stage. I immediately recognized them as Glynda Goodwitch and Professor Ozpin. The stadium became quiet almost instantly, and everyone watched intently. Professor Ozpin cleared his throat and began his speech.


	4. The Sloth

**Riley**

"Blah blah blah blah blah." That's about the extent of Ozpin's speech I heard. Kyra and I had walked to the stadium after Nalini and that one guy who sprinted away. I was horrified. Sprinting? Really? Way too much work for me. I would have preferred death over running like that. We followed them into the stadium and began our search, but the mass of bodies kept us from going in too far, so I just gave up and leaned against the nearest wall. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for a wonderful nap, but three girls kept shouting about some dust explosion or something nearby, so I couldn't get much shut eye until Ozpin finally started.

Bless Kyra for her patience. She waited for the entire stadium to clear out before waking me; granted she was fidgeting the entire time and was very impatient after I did finally wake up, but it was a very nice gesture. She brought me to the main building where everyone was preparing for a big slumber part of sorts for that night. I could respect the decision to postpone assigning dorms. Way too much work way too early into the school year. We set up our sleeping cots and just socialized with the rest of the students until that evening. The day was long and the people a mix, but it finally came time to head to beddy-bye land, something I was really excited for. I snuggled into my cot next to Kyra, said my pleasantries, and closed my eyes.

I waited and waited and waited. Nothing. I tossed and turned. Nothing. I tried sticking a leg out, then the other leg, then both legs. Still nothing. Desperation drove me to do the most action intensive thing I've ever done when trying to sleep: Praying. I clasped my hands together and bowed my head, quietly clearing my throat as well, and began. "Oh mister Sandman, the Lord and Savior of the hallowed Sleep Realm, won'st thou please bestow upon me the gift that you grant all: The power to rest my body and mind, to heal the wounds cast upon my body by the long and tiresome day, to release the tension and stress from my physical being and enter thy sacred world of sleep? I, your faithful servant Riley, swear to thee that I shalt use the gift bestowed upon me, shall you choose to bestow it to your faithful, to uphold the sacred laws of sleep and never, ever pervert and twist the gift into one of lazy and sloth-like behavior. With this plea of assistance I beg thee, Almighty one, won't you gift your faithful and loving servant the gift of dreams on this fine night so that I may turn and face the grossly incandescent body of the beloved Sun; So that I may bask in his warm embrace and greet my fellow students with compassion and glee?" I relaxed my body and prepared to receive the gift of the every so benevolent Sandman. Five minutes went by. Then ten. By fifteen I was questioning the Sandman's generosity. By twenty, I decided that mister Sandman just had a lot of servants tonight and waited some more. By twenty five minutes, I was beginning to think he had forgotten me. When thirty minutes went by, I decided that Mister Sandman was being a snooty bitch today and slowly made my way outside.

The night sky certainly wasn't as crisp and majestic as the sun's sky, but it was quiet, cool, and a nice place to relax. I strolled calmly through the school grounds, periodically resting on benches or leaning against walls to see if I'd fall asleep there. Nothing. As I neared the school's nature park, full of trees, grass and flowers, I heard a sound I never expected to hear in a place like this: A wolf's howl. The school wasn't supposed to have faunus here, let alone actual animals. Being as keen of wit and as action oriented as I was, I rolled and sprinted into the park and searched every nook and cranny to find the wolf. In my mind. In actuality, I lazily trudged my way into the serene curtain of trees and sleepily glanced around for signs of a quadrupedal animal with dangerous fangs and claws. No big deal. Near the rocks? Nope. Near the small pond? Nope. Near the tiny caves that looked like they'd be perfect for a small fox or something? Not even a peep. I stalked around the forest a little bit longer though, my curiosity peeked, until I reached a small clearing near the edge of the school grounds, the cliffside in view. Much to my surprise, another student was sitting there, his legs carelessly dangling off the side as he stared up at the big cheese wheel in the sky.

"Looking for something? You stomped around back there a long time." He called out to me as I took a few steps forward. I shrugged and sat next to him, admiring the sky as well. The student's hood was pulled up over his head, I noticed, but I had a few guesses as to who this was. "Eh, big guys aren't the most graceful. I was hoping a walk would help me sleep, but I'm no more tired than I was when I came out here. What about you?" He didn't react at all to my voice or gesture for him to speak. He seemed mesmerized by the moon. "Don't speak much?" Still no response. I shrugged and laid back, watching the moon with him. Talking was too much work anyways. Seconds quickly turned into several minutes, several going by before he finally looked in my direction.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to brush you off." His gray eyes shone through the light and the full moon was just bright enough to make out jet black hair that just barely reached past his eyebrows. "I was just... remembering." I raised my eyebrow. "Remembering what?" He gave a small laugh and laid next to me, resting his head on his hands. "I really wish I knew. It's a lot of thoughts all at once and I can't focus." I clicked my tongue and shook my head. That sounded awful. I was glad I never had that problem. My head would explode.

We trailed back into silence, then, admiring the moon's splendor. The stars, twinkling away, shone brightly throughout the night sky. The silence, nearly deafening but slightly relaxing, was no longer crushing with tension. We'd bonded and were now officially best friends. I swear. I playfully bumped him with my elbow to test my theory. He looked at me, slightly confused, and only uttered an undignified "Hm?" in response. I sighed "nothing, nothing" and stood up, "I'm just going to head back now. I think I should be able to sleep now." He waved, but didn't move otherwise. I waved back in response and made my way back through the woods.

I laid back in the cot and turned to Kyra, who hadn't slept either and waited for me to get back, and said a simple phrase to push her buttons: "I met your boyfriend. I approve." She scowled, but I saw her cheeks flush. I flashed a smile in apology and laid back. "Hey, Riley, what's his name?" Name? What's a-? "Dammit! I knew I forgot something!" I sighed in frustration and closed my eyes, thinking about my idiocy as the Sandman finally fulfilled his promise.

The next day, I learned we were having initiation today and that we would form teams with people. By being launched through the air into a woods filled with Grimm. I figured this out by regaining my consciousness around the time Kyra had pulled me from my sleeping bag and we were already on our way over to the starting area. Her excited words pounded into my skull, but I latched onto the "launching" part. That part terrified me. I hated being off the ground, and I was about to be launched through the air. Launched. Through. The. Air. Obviously, I was not a happy camper. The Sandman had promised me a bright and cheery attitude with tons of sleep, but all I got was pain and misery. Jerk.

Ozpin lined us up, each on our own pad, and slowly began the initiation. The man standing three slots to my left shot through the air, followed by the next person. The horror inside me exploded as the person next to me started screaming as soon as he shot through the sky. My turn was up. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. The seconds creeped by and I wasn't shot up into the air. I looked at Ozpin, confused, but then it happened. A mechanism clicked underneath me and suddenly the ground just stopped existing to me. I can't remember if I screamed. I can't remember if I cried. All I remember is the feeling of my stomach flattening down in my body and the air escaping my lungs. I couldn't breath, I couldn't see, and my body was flailing as I flipped through the air. I tried in vain the right myself, looking desperately for the ground, but my eyes stung from the piercing winds, and tears were flying behind me as they escaped my eyes. I grabbed Cymbeline from my sash, unlinking the chain and allowing the two halves to rely on the strength of the chain instead of each other. I held them above my head and closed my eyes, begging for something to go right this time. How long had I been flying? Twenty five seconds by now? I had to hit the ground soon.

I was half right. I landed soon, but it wasn't on the ground. I felt Cymbeline catch onto something, but the sudden sensation pulled the left staff free from my hand, and I was flung into a tree trunk. The air burst from my lungs as my body luckily landed on a very large limb, and I allowed myself to lose consciousness. The sensation of air quickly woke me, though, and I opened my eyes only to find the ground a few feet from my body. I belly-slammed hard into the ground and groaned, my body now covered in pain. I reached a hand out and touched something... leathery? I gently squeezed and followed the weird patches of horizontal leather until I found something cottony. What was this strange creature? I gave another little squeeze and I heard a giggle above me. I slowly used my other hand to lift my body and turned my head up.

"You alright, Riley?" Came the kind, embracing voice of Nalini. "Oh thank you so much for finding me. I thought I was going to find a King Taijitu eating me for dinner." She helped me to my feet and brushed the dirt off of my clothes. "Come on, I'm pretty sure the temple is this way." I had no idea what she was talking about, but I followed nonetheless. I didn't die, and I found a very nice partner. Today was, surprisingly, a little better than I expected it to be.


	5. Partners

**Fenrir**

God. Dammit. Of course we'd have to be flung through the air. We couldn't just climb down the cliff, no, that'd be reasonable. We had to be shot through the air on catapults and possibly die as we landed. That's fantastic. I wasn't scared of heights, but I absolutely hated being off the ground. In the air, the sounds were too distorted and the wind whipped away all the smells. My body always felt weird being too far from the Earth. I hated tree climbing, I hated swimming, and I hated flying through the air at several dozen miles per hour. The wind burned my eyes, and the ground was progressively getting closer and closer. I grabbed the sword off my back and prepared for the worst.

I neared the trees and stabbed my sword into the closest branch, flipping under and yanking the sword with me, unfortunately cutting straight through the branch. The branch fell, and I with it. I flew forward, unbalanced now, and winced in pain as I was clothes-lined by a second branch. I gripped it hard, not wanting to fall down again, and slowly worked my way down. I gingerly touched my stomach, feeling the damage. Bruised ribs and a little hard to breath, but nothing too major. My shoulders stung where the sword had nearly ripped them out of their sockets, but I could move them freely so I deemed them fit for service. I adjusted my hood, checked my knives and daggers, sheathed my sword, and sniffed the air. We were looking for ruins, supposedly, and I smelled the smallest earthy stench to the north-east and assumed that'd be the best place to start. Then I heard a blood-curdling scream to the East.

"No. No no no." Why her? Why now? The scream belonged to the only person who ever made me dread my existence. I thought it was a harmless comment so she would leave me alone. I had a headache and I was thinking about that dream, but the look she gave me on the park bench... I shivered as I thought about it and shook my head. "I can't believe I'm doing this." I sighed and forced my legs to move in the direction of the She-Devil's voice, begging my inner-self to just leave the entire time.

I sprinted through the trees, heading for the source of the screaming. I drew my daggers as I neared a clearing and burst through the last bits of foliage. The sight I witnessed on the other side was... Horrible. Three large bear-like Grimm were scattered among the clearing, their bodies full of holes and covered in open gashes. Smoke rose from their bodies, a strange characteristic the Grimm seemed to have upon death. The smell was unbearable, but it was nothing compared to what stood before me. She slid her guns back into their holsters on the strap of her waist jacket and tugged at her short blonde hair. "That was pretty fun, actually," she said with a giggle and turned around to face me. She took two steps and froze, looking me dead in the eyes. My body froze, my heart hammering in my chest. She took a step towards me. Then two more. Then she was walking. Then running. "You didn't see me! I can just leave!" I shouted, and turned around, trying to force my legs to move. Too late. Her arm hooked around my neck and pulled me back into her. I expected pain. Lots and lots of pain.

"So, looks like we're partners, huh?" That reaction surprised me. I slowly turned my head and looked at her face, disbelief and fear racing through me. She was looking back, a big smile plastered on her face. "Um... I could just go and you could find someone else. That'd be better for the both of us, I think." I tried pulling her arm off of me, but she wouldn't let go. "Nah, I'm fine with it. In fact, I prefer this. Lots of quality time should do wonders for our new friendship." She dropped her arms around my waist and hefted me onto her shoulder and began walking. "Hey!" I exclaimed, "Put me down! Please!" She shook her head and headed into the forest. I just sighed and quit struggling, pointing northeast. "The ruins are that way." She turned around instantly and sped off with me in tow.

We couldn't get to the ruins fast enough. No more Grimm got in our way, but I think she purposely slammed me into every tree and branch on the path. I cursed under my breath as bounced me and shoved her shoulder deep into my bruised gut and I think I heard her giggle. A few more trees and another bush and she finally dropped me on the ground. The earthen stench was much thicker now I noted as I groaned and sat up, and a quick glance down the small hillside confirmed my suspicions. We weren't the first ones there, though. Two other people stood in the center of the large dais. This thrilled blondie, apparently, because she took off running towards them and shouted some guy's name. I stood up and reluctantly made my way down the hill, rubbing my bruised and battered skull and praying for something to tell me this was all a dream and I was back at the school sleeping. But no such luck was had that day.

I didn't even look at who they were, I just walked right past and grabbed one of the stupid relics. What even were they? The one I grabbed was a black cylinder, larger on the bottom and top than in the middle. A weird tear-drop shape capped the top like a hat, ending in a small sphere. "Oh, a bishop! Not a bad choice," came a girl's voice, but it wasn't blondie's. It was much more kind and thoughtful, and always welcome if you asked me. I looked up and smiled as I stared into the familiar brown eyes of Nalini. Her white hair, contrasting to her tan skin, was pulled back into a ponytail, and her smile instantly made me forget my previous abuses. She held up a golden equivalent of my bishop and winked. "Oh man, you're a sight for sore eyes! Could you just hold me all day? My partner enjoys bashing me against trees and I don't appreciate it." She giggled as her cheeks began to blush, and I smiled in return. I glanced over at her partner, who was happily chatting up mine at the moment, and noticed something odd.

"Hey, you're that guy from last night." He was so much taller when we was standing. He seemed only an inch or so taller than me, maybe five eleven, when we were sitting, but he stood around six foot one at least. He glanced over and his eyes opened slightly in surprise, but he seemed happy. "So I am. Name's Riley." He extended his hand. "Yours?" I reached out and gladly shook it. "Fenrir, but Fen is fine." He looked a little puzzled as he heard it. "That's a pretty... unique name." I shrugged. "Runs in the family." He nodded, still confused, but he let it slide. I felt really awkward. I'd never had to deal with people like this before, and I really wanted someone to come up with a topic. I glanced around, hoping someone would come up with something. I glanced at the forest, a rotting Ursa corpse dotting the western edge. Probably from Riley and Nalini upon their arrival. I glanced at the sky and saw a few large feathers trailing through the air. Curious, I followed the trail to a cliff and saw the owner, a giant bird, diving and charging the ruins nearby.

"Guys? I think you should see this." I gestured to the cliff, and as everyone turned, the Nevermore began being carried up the cliff face by a girl in a red hood. She climbed higher, higher and ever so higher until she finally reached the top and the overgrown bird's head was ripped from the body. Nalini gasped beside me, Riley let out a whistle, and blondie giggled with delight. I, on the other hand, just watched. I didn't find the feat astounding, I didn't find it jaw-dropping. The death of a big bird was all I took from it. Before I knew it, my ever-so enthusiastic partner had grabbed my hand and dragged me hard towards the cliff. Knowing not to fight it, I looked back at Riley and Nalini, pleading for help with my eyes, but they only laughed and followed behind. My last hope was gone, meaning I was forever trapped by the every strengthening grip of the hyper-active blonde. My life was forfeit.

Eventually, after I was dragged over rocks, branches and dirt, we reached the base of the cliff. Not only was a smoking Nevermore corpse here, but a Deaths talker was as well. The large golden stinger was stabbed and forced down through its hard skull, its brain pierced and filled with poison. "Glad we weren't here. I would have hated having to fight these things," came the lazy comment from Riley. Blondie was a little disappointed, and she was very vocal about it to me. Randing from "Damn it, I wanted to fight a Death Stalker!" to "Man, I wonder how they cut the Nevermore head off... I wonder if my ax could do that..." She quickly tired of it though (I have no idea what I would've done if she didn't) and Nalini figured that since we got the relics, we may as well get out of here. We were launched off a cliff, so we may as well climb one to get out.

Crossing the broken down bridge was a pain, and climbing the cliff face without any gear wasn't exactly pleasant, but we reached the top in more or less one piece. Riley certainly wasn't happy about either endeavor, but he didn't whine too much, unlike a certain person I knew. She was the first to reach the top, and she grabbed my wrist and pulled me with her as soon as I reached the top, and I was beyond tired of this. "Let go." She either didn't hear me, or just acted like it. "Blondie, could you let me go?" Riley and Nalini had reached the top now, but they stayed quiet and just watched. I tugged my arm back, but she only gripped tighter. I grit my teeth together in frustration, breathing deeply trying to calm down. "Look, I'd really appreciate it if you would just let me go. I'm more than capable of walking on my own." I tried to sound as nice as possible, but a little hatred may have seeped through. I thought I saw her expression hint at anger, but it twitched back to neutral immediately. "Hey, blondie, I said-" "Shut up already!" She pulled me over her shoulder again, and I began seething with rage. "Put me the fuck down, Blondie!" I was shouting now, angry at the stupid face of my stupid partner who I stupidly tried to save back when I landed in that stupid forest at the start of this stupid day. She loosened her grip slightly in surprised and I took that chance to push her hand off of me and pushed myself onto the ground away from her.

"Why the fuck have you been dragging me around? " I asked as soon as I stood up. "You weren't going to stick around if I let you out of my grip! You really think I was going to let you go after that whole 'I can just go' thing? You couldn't wait to leave." She retorted. While she certainly had a point, I wouldn't really have gone if she was okay with sticking through with it. I knew the rules just as much as everyone else, and I know I wouldn't have gotten away with just leaving. "That's not how you deal with something like that! I was going to stay and attempt to work things out, but no, you had to throw me over your midget shoulder and slam me into every God-forsaken tree in that damn forest!"

"Don't you _ever_ call me a midget!"

"Or what?"

She reached back for her guns. "Or I'll make sure you never speak again."

I smirked and grabbed my daggers. "I'd like to see you try. _Shorty._"

She drew her guns and I drew my daggers. We stood about seven feet apart, so I had the advantage. She wouldn't be able to fire her guns accurately when we were this close together. I laughed softly to myself and charged.


	6. KNFR

**Kyra**

He was fast, that's for sure. In the blink of an eye he was behind me, a fresh droplet of blood trailing down my cheek. I clinched my fists and turned, unloading Lyss and Ilya into his current position. He dodged the blasts easily however, and repeated his attack again, except this time I was ready. I flicked my wrist and Ilya's handguard slid to the end of the barrel, forming the blade as the slide slid on top and secured it in place and the grip unhinged backwards and connected to the back of the barrel. I blocked his dagger with the newly formed ax and flipped it out of his left hand, but received an elbow to the side in return. Keeping Lyss aiming at him constantly, I turned and faced him. "Whatcha gonna do without your second butter knife?" I chanced a cocky smile and he shot one back. He spun the dagger around, taking an underhanded grip. "You really think I need two?" His left hand shot to his belt like lighting and flung something sharp towards my head. It wasn't incredibly fast, so shooting it out of the air was a cakewalk with Lyss, but he used the distraction to get really close to me.

"Too slow," I heard him say as he grabbed my collar and tugged me forward, slamming his head into mine and letting me stumble backwards. I jumped back, my aura kicking in and helping regain balance. I'd caught him off guard momentarily as the aura formed around my body and jumped right back in, swinging Ilya wildly at his head. I clipped him with the bottom of the handle, he ducked just in time to dodge the blade, but it threw him off balance and he had to dash backwards and plan. Small bolts of lightning trailed around my body, a weird visual effect of my aura that I was actually okay with. Grey eyes, on the other hand, was taken aback. He watched the lightning bolts carefully, expecting them to be their own attack, and I shot at him with Lyss. The lightning shots connected with his left shoulder and he winced in pain, giving me a chance to flick Lyss into an ax and dash towards him. I was on top of him rather quickly, but he was somehow much faster. He ducked my incoming swipes and got a good punch into my gut as he ducked behind me. I heard his footsteps end as I painfully regained my breath. These one-hit trades back and forth weren't my style. "Why can't you fight me up front? Scared?" I called as I turned to face him. His right hand was over the wound on his left shoulder and his right dagger placed back in its sheath, but he hadn't even broken a sweat yet. Just what kind of stamina did he have?

"Sorry, I'm not one for slug fests," he called back, "Much too brutish for me." I noticed he had retrieved his other dagger and was replacing the knife in his belt I'd shot earlier. Apparently it wasn't damaged too badly. Shame. While he was significantly farther away, though, I figured I'd try out my rifle. The axes reverted to their handgun forms, the barrel of one open as the other slid in. The handle of the front most gun became a grip and a small stock extended from the back gun, nestling gently into my shoulder. The whole process took about a second and I was blasting away. The aura bullets were now bigger, more powerful, and faster. The first shot clipped his right leg, but he adjusted for the new speed and dodged the next few shots. As I took a moment to adjust and observe his movements, I realized he now had a limp with his wounded leg. A smile crept on my face and I took aim again, planning to go all out. "Looks like I win," I boasted confidently and pulled the trigger as fast as I could. Flurries of electricity flew out of the barrel and hurdled straight for my "partner," preparing to pierce his heart any second. He wasn't even moving! Victory was mine! I mentally chalked a point for me on the scoreboard and was feeling quite smug, until I realized he wasn't getting hit. Instead, I was. With my own rifle nonetheless. He'd sped forward, even with the injured leg, while I was... Distracted... Grabbed my rifle and slammed it into my face. I knew what he was doing next, however, and reached around my side, grabbing him by the hood and pulling him back in front of me from it. "Get back here, dammit!"

I threw him on the ground in front of me, but the dust cleared and I froze in my tracks. His hair, black with red streaks, was pulled back in places to form a very small tail a few inches long. The rest of the shaggy hair reached down to his jawline in the front and nearly to the base of his neck in the back. His bangs, seemingly kept to the right side of his face, were now in front of his eyes, just barely letting the piercing gray orbs burn holes into me. What surprised me most though wasn't any of that, it was the two ears sticking up from his head. I heard gasps from Riley and Nalini from my right as they too noticed them. My partner quickly threw the hood over his head and stood up, making as if he were going to run until someone cleared their throat to the side.

"Fighting on the school grounds, unregulated, are we?" A voice belonging to none other than Headmaster Ozpin spoke from the side. "Don't like your choice in partner?" Grey Eyes stalked off, not even attempting to listen to the Professor. "Hey! Where are you going?" I called after him, but he refused to turn around. I started after him, thinking I'd march him back on my own if I had to, but Ozpin placed a hand on my shoulder as I walked past. "Try being a little gentler with him," he told me softly, "He's not been around that many people, so he's not used to all this." I gave him a nod and walked in the direction my partner had stormed. Behind me, Nalini and Riley wished me luck and I waved back thankfully.

I tugged my hair gently as I walked, trying to think of what to say. I'd apologize, but he'd started the fight. I mean, I was just trying to make sure he didn't run off. You couldn't blame me for that, could you? I just wanted to eventually get an apology out of him for being an ass. You can't fault me for that, right? Right. I was totally right. Wasn't I? I took a deep breath that ended with a very long sigh, trying to clear my head and focus. Riley had said back in the ruins that they'd met in this forest somewhere, but where could it be? I glanced around through the trees, just seeing more and more of the brown pillars stretching through the park. I'd never find him at this rate. Crestfallen, I sat down on a tree and took a break. Just a few minutes to rest my legs, nothing more. I'd been walking all day, so a little sit down wasn't too unreasonable. I examined the tree opposite me, attempting to pass time. The design wasn't anything to right home about. Swirly line, swirly line, swirly line, small gash in the the side, swirly line, swirly line- Wait a minute. I stood up and looked at the cut in the bark. It was about chest high and didn't look weathered or worn. I walked a few steps to the left and checked the next tree. Another cut. A few more trees down, I found another. Slowly I followed the trees, making my way bit by bit through the woods, until I reached a small clearing on a cliff edge, with wolf boy sitting on the edge.

"How long?" He asked as I took a step forward. I continued walking and sat beside him a few feet away. I looked over at him, a little confused. "Until what?" Being this close, I examined his features a little bit more while I waited for a response. His baggy clothes prevented me from seeing his build, but I'd assumed he had to be strong to move as fast as he did. His face was hard and perfectly neutral; the eyes cold and piercing, his nose slightly upturned. He was clean shaven, I noticed, but his thick head of hair more than made up for his lack of facial hair. He sighed and laid back, staring at the clear blue sky.

"How long until I'm forcibly removed from campus for starting a fight with my partner?" he asked. I tried not to, but I couldn't help forming a little smile. His emotions were just a little fickle, weren't they? I turned to face him and broke the great news to him. "Three hours 'til you have to be gone." A groan escaped him and he slammed his fist into the ground as a curse came from his mouth. I lost it there and giggled to myself. He let out a sigh and started walking away. "Jeeze, I had no idea you hated me that much. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad." He told me turning away from me.

"No! No that's not it!" I told him between laughs, "I was lying! Ozpin said we're totally fine!" And with that, I finally saw him crack a genuine, happy smile. "You're such an ass." He laughed and sat next to me, extending his hand. "Start over?" Joking a bit more, I acted hurt, but he guessed it this time and game me a serious look. Another small giggle and I took his hand in my.

"Kyra."

"Fenrir.

"Friends?"

"Are you kidding?" He asked, confusion in his voice. I was scared for a second, but then I realized. "Oh you jerk!" He cracked a smile and I punched him in the arm, noticing too late it was the one I'd shot just a few minutes prior. I was about to apologize, but he brushed it off like it was nothing. "I've got a high pain tolerance. It's fine." I bit my lip, still feeling bad, and gently pulled my hair as I stood up. "Come on, we should get back to the school. Team initiations should be starting soon." He smiled and stood up. "Let's go, partner." Hearing the words eased me up a little, and it felt good to finally hear it said with actual care. I nodded and gave an enthusiastic "Mhm!" and we started on our way.

The teams were slowly called up, one by one. I was honestly a little surprised. Everyone was dressed completely different from the next person, and their weapons varied just as much. People from all over were here; tall and short, foreign and local, even human and faunus. The large assembly room was filled to burst with students as four individuals were called up to the stage to learn who they would be partnered with for the next four years. At the head of it all was Ozpin, sided with his assistant Glynda Goodwitch. The number of umatched students trickled down, meaning my time was getting closer and closer. I knew I was with Fen, but I had no idea who the other two members would be. I had hopes, of course, but you can never be sure. I could barely pay attention to who was being called up, only noticing a girl in a red hood who looked strangely familiar, and finally Ozpin looked right at me.

"Kyra Zantarius, Nalini Kilna, Fenrir Volk, and Riley Vespre." I beamed and took Fen's hand in mine, tugging him onto the stage with me as Nalini and Riley followed suit. I shook lightly as I waited, anxiously seeing who the leader was. I glanced to my left and saw each one of them staring at Ozpin patiently. Nalini, immediately next to me, looked almost comfortable standing in front of the large crowd; her arms were together behind her back, her posture was picture perfect and her breathing was calm. Like she was born for this. Next was Fenrir, hood back over his head, stood with a much more intense look on his face. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were trying there hardest to edge Ozpin into announcing the leader. Riley was just... Riley. He stood, yawning and stretching, but otherwise at attention. I was the odd one out. I was shaking and bouncing anxiously. I bit my lip and clenched my fists, trying my hardest to sit still. I just wished Ozpin would hurry up already. He seemed to notice and gave me a quick apologetic grin, but then quickly returned to his normal self.

"You four," Ozpin's voice rung out as the screen facing the auditorium lit up with our pictures and the first letters of our names, "retrieved the Bishop pieces. From this day forth, you are team Conifer, lead by Kyra." My heart stopped and my eyes widened in surprise. I felt someone give my left hand a gentle squeeze and a hand was placed on my shoulder, but my mind was spinning. Me? I was the leader? How had I-? When could I have-? Oh, this was making my head hurt. A gentle tug on my arm brought me back to my senses, and I saw Nalini's concerned face.

"I-I'm okay," I reassured her. Riley moved his hand from my shoulder as Fen slowly walked past him and began kneeling in from of me. He quietly began praying and, to the surprise of the group, threw his hood off and revealed his ears. The auditorium went silent, but still his words were inaudible, and I was beginning to feel just a little embarrassed, but he stood up, his eyes serious, just before my face got too red.

"It is done," he remarked as he stood. I was going to ask him what he was talking about, but we were quickly shooed off the stage by Glynda and were forced to bear the auditorium's stares as we made our way back to our seats. I was tired, my head hurt, and I was embarrassed, but I was excited all at the same time. I had patched things up with Fen, I made three new friends in my first two days at Beacon, and I was the leader of my team. For once, I felt like the school year was going to be kind of fun.


	7. Combat

**Kyra**

My heart was thumping in my chest and my body ached. Lyss and Ilya were gripped tight in my hands, axes at the ready. The muscles in my arms cried for me to stop and take a break, and the fresh wound in my side still stung, but there was no way I was giving up this fight.

He stood in front of me, looking no better than I did. His chest heaved, his left arm hung limply by his side from where I'd shot the bend just a minute ago, and the arm holding his spiked flail, while still up, was obviously getting stiff. His curly brown hair, damp and matted with sweat, framed the upper half of his head. Red lightly streaked the left side of his face from a wound I'd dealt minutes prior that had certainly healed by now.

I steadied myself, my lungs full of delicious oxygen, and exhaled slowly as I felt a surge of adrenaline seep into my bloodstream. His stance was unbalanced and he wasn't expecting an attack just yet, we'd only jumped apart a second ago and we were both exhausted. I felt a smirk creep its way onto my face and sprung towards the young warrior, but his flail was flying to meet me.

I fell to my knees and leaned back, the spiked ball centimeters from my face as I slid underneath. His surprise attack foiled, a worried look formed on his face as I kicked out with my leg, hooking it around his and knocking him onto his back. I quickly pulled the flail from his hand and pressed Lyss' barrel, a handgun once again, against his forehead. I gave a small laugh in victory and was just about to pull the trigger when suddenly the lights came back on and I heard footsteps to my left.

"That's enough, don't you think Ms. Zantarius?" sounded the voice of Glynda Goodwitch. I stood up and shrugged, a victorious smile still plastered on my face. She shook her head and gave the same speech she gave after that Jaune guy lost his match. Brown Hair's aura went into the red and the official got to call the match, blah blah blah, the Vital Festival was soon, blah blah blah. I was too hyped up to listen. Adrenaline still coursed in my veins and I wanted another fight, but I didn't think I'd be getting one.

"Kyra? Are you listening?" I shook my head and looked at Ms. Goodwitch. Her eyebrow was raised as she looked at me and wrote on the clipboard she always carried with her. "Oh, good, I have your attention. Sorry to wake you, but your team is first up in the team scrimmages." I perked up at that. Team scrims meant more fighting, and fighting was so much fun. Glynda began walking off the stage, but turned back to me just before she completely got off. "You have thirty minutes to recuperate and prepare. Report to the forest with your team by then." I nodded and bounced with excitement. This great day just turned amazing.

An hour passed and we were gathered at the opening of the forest. Fenrir, preferring to keep his hood up, was examining his throwing knives. Nalini was looking at her claymore, inspecting its blade and hilt. Riley, just stood there half asleep with a day or so's worth of blonde stubble growing on his face. Glynda, a lone figure in front of the dark forest, was the only other person there. She eyed us over briefly before looking back to her clipboard and finally addressing us.

"The team you will be versus today has already taken position in the forest. The battleground has been partitioned off within a square mile. You will have one hour to either render your opponents unable to fight. Knocking them unconscious, capturing them, and throwing their auras into the red all constitute viable victory parameters. This is supposed to resemble a real life fight, but punishment will be exacted on anyone who takes things too far. This is a scrimmage, children, not a war zone, and these are future teammates, not the Grimm. Any questions?" She glanced at each of us individually as we prepared for the upcoming battle. "Then the scrimmage has officially commenced. You have one hour starting now."

Lightning arced around my legs as I charged into the forest, jumping from branch to branch. The others followed behind me, I'm sure. I anticipated the oncoming battle, the epic cool moves I would show off (maybe I'd finally be able to use my aura for more than just darting around the battlefield. I just couldn't get the hang of it, yet. I wanted lightning bolts flying out of my guns, dammit!).

A shout came from behind me, it sounded like Nalini, and I quickly turned in the air, landing on the branch I was flying towards easily, preparing to jump back to the team. I let my full wait rest on the branch and instantly regretted it as it snapped underneath my boots and I fell. Wind rushed passed my ears and I smacked headlong into a couple branches before finally managing to pull out an ax and bury the head a few inches deep into the tree trunk, slowing my descent until I safely landed on a much studier branch. I looked back in the direction the rest of the team was last time I checked.

"Ambush," Riley told me, nearly giving me a heart attack as he landed next to me on the branch, "Fen went back for Nalini. He told me to keep you protected." He pulled two metal rods, roughly three feet each, connected by chain from his belt. One was a hollow cylindrical tube while the other was encircled by blades protruding from the rod in eight directions, all leading up to the tip. The one side resembled a mace, but I had no idea what the other side could do. I hadn't seen Riley's fight earlier, but I'd heard he won pretty definitively. He pressed the two ends with the chain together and screwed them together, forming a very large bow staff as he looked in the direction he'd come, as if he were waiting for something.

"Ten seconds, he said. If we don't see him in three-" Riley wanted to finish his thought, but Fen burst from the foliage about twenty feet ahead of us and just a few branches down. He carried Nalini in his arms, her head hidden in the crook of his neck. He hid behind the tree, noticing us as he did so, and set the girl down.

"So stupid... I should've known... Mom would've known..." The white haired girl muttered to herself as she prepared her dust. She opened her mouth, about to say something else, but was less than interested and had jumped out from behind the tree like a cheetah. He threw several knives in the canopies of the trees about fifty feet in front of us as he bounded for more cover.

"Up high! Careful, they're quick!" He shouted back at us as a sound louder than any gunshot rang out, sending a bullet from the canopy into the small patch of the branch visible between my feet. I nearly jumped out of my skin, knowing that was just a warning shot, and very thankful I Riley was there to catch me before I fell. I gathered myself and jumped down next to Nalini, firing my guns wildly into tree-tops for some sort of cover. It seemed to work, as no more shots rang out as the three of us got into cover, leaving the forest eerily quiet. No birds sang, no deer grazed, no squirrels scavenged for nuts. Even the wind was deathly quiet, refusing to obscure the movements of either team. Nature was giving as fair a fight as it could. Wonderful.

"Okay, we need a plan and we need it now," I said, turning to the teammates by my sides. "Anyone have anything?" I looked at both of them. Both of their looks answered my question. Riley fiddled with his staff, and Nalini quietly snapped her fingers, sending sparks showering from her bare hands with her dust.

I sighed and tried thinking. _If only we could get them out of the trees, _I wished, _then we could at least see them. Stupid hunks of firewood._ Something clicked in my mind just then. I was a genius! "Nalini!" I exclaimed taking her hands in mine. She jumped, but looked at me, happy to have a chance to help. "Fireballs! Can you make them?" She nodded, confused at first, but they opened in surprise and she cracked a small smile as she understood as well. Riley had taken look out, but he turned in interest as he heard me bouncing.

_THUNK!_ A large battleaxe cleaved into the tree right where his head had been moments ago. Something like a squeak escaped his lips has he readied his staff, aiming the hollow end towards the large axe's owner, a man about as tall as Riley and twice as wide, as he fired a shockwave of his glowing aura through the barrel. It came out like a shotgun round and slammed into the large man, who grunted and fell back in response.

"Run!" I yelled, getting a weak groan from Riley in response, but he followed suit with Nalini. I expected bullets to rain down on us as we sprinted into the open, but the canopies rustled and yelps echoed out. Sounded like Fen was having fun without us. I nodded to Nalini when we got close to the the make-shift base the other team had created and the mage threw a large orb of fire the size of a baseball at the dry bark. The flames kissed the wood and ignited, trailing quickly up the brown masses and was licking the leaves within seconds. A few shouts sounded from above as smoke billowed into the hiding hole. Hopefully wolf boy could get away.

I was just about to start celebrating, I mean I just caused a major forest fire and it looked awesome! Something always had to kill my mood, though. The giant from earlier appeared, shrugging the shotgun blast to the face off and grabbing Riley with his axe while his back was turned, causing him to spit out several profanities before being choked. I grit my teeth and aimed my guns at the ogre, hearing a sword being drawn from the mage beside me.

"I suggest you let him go. He's fireproof. Are you?" Nalini asked, a dark smile on her face. I couldn't tell if she was bluffing or not, but I think I got my answer from the horrified expression on Riley's face. His eyes seemed to scream _Oh god please no don't kill me! There are so many naps I've yet to take!_ I would've laughed if I wasn't so pissed at these guys. I was ready to lose it then and there and empty so many shots into this fat guy holding my friend. I stepped forward and got so close to pulling the trigger when arms came from behind me and restrained mine.

My body was pulled back next to Nalini, who suffered the same fate as me; Her mouth was covered and her arms restrained as she looked at me apologetically, unable to make a sound. I mentally kicked myself. How could I forget about the two other members? Fen was probably dealing with whoever the fourth member was while we were sitting here getting our asses captured. I was so furious!

Suddenly, Fenrir himself jumped down from the flaming trees about ten feet away, another figure with him. The other person's hands were bound and one of Fen's ornate daggers pressed against her neck. She was the sniper, I presumed, and her teammates looked at her in surprise.

"The wolf kid is good," is all she managed. She had to be the best fighter of the team if the other three were this distracted. I took advantage in their brief lapse in judgement and slammed the back of my head hard into my captor's nose, hoping I broke it. He let me go and howled in pain, attempting to stop the blood rushing from his open nostrils. I aimed my guns at the pathetic sight in front of me and Nalini's captor, letting the anger in me boil to the surface. I was captured by these dimwits? I had lost to _this_?

I let my aura well up inside me, focusing the energy into my weapons. I would do it this time. I could feel it. I let just a little bit more energy pool into my weapons and smirked. I pulled the triggers and felt the energy in my guns explode out the front, throwing me backwards. I crumpled onto the ground, my ears ringing and stinging.

I couldn't hear anything, but I opened my eyes and was thankful I could see. I turned, looking to the two dweebs, hoping I'd evaporated them both, but they stood there, tears streaming from their eyes and their bodies shaking as they doubled over. It was too much to hope they were crying in fear.

Fen's figure lost its sense of posture, his shoulders droop and his head hung low. He cut his captive free and trudged over to me, extending his hand. I barely heard his words over the ringing, but I definitely heard "We lost." I took his hand and stood up, nodding sadly. Even if we wanted to counterattack in the confusion, Glynda was already here, declaring the other team the winners I assumed. It was over. We lost. I clenched my teeth together and tugged on my bangs, much harder than usual.


	8. Secrets Laid Bare

**Fenrir  
**

We entered the school less than enthused. The ape on the enemy team had gloated pretty harshly, and the two that grabbed the girls were no better. The sniper had been the only onewho was the least bit courteous, probably because she lost. I was so stupid! I should've stayed and guarded Kyra after saving Nalini. I couldn't get to the sniper fast enough, and she was as good in hand-to-hand as she was a marksman. So stupid of me!

I let out a groan and slumped my shoulders, making my way to the gym. Maybe I could beat the frustration out; fighting, no matter who or what, had always helped with stress in the past, I'm sure it'd help now. I started on my way when a hand gently grasped my shoulder and a sweet voice sounded behind me.

"Fen? You okay?" The white hair gave it away as I turned, smiling at the friendly face. "Yeah, yeah," I nodded, attempting to hide disappointment that was all too evident in my voice. She gave me a look that told me I failed horribly, but she didn't pester further as she stepped in line beside me. "It wasn't your fault we lost back there, you know." I was a little taken aback, and I cursed myself for being so obvious.

"Honestly, you were probably the most prepared out of all of us. You figured out the trap faster than everyone, you took out the sniper, and-" she looked away and I noticed she clenched her fists before continuing, "-you saved me when I fell for it." I gave a small and quiet laugh, causing her to lower her head. "I know, I know, it was really bad of me, and-"

"No, don't apologize!" I interrupted. "Really, it's not a big deal. I mean, I've got these-" I gestured to the ears underneath my hood, "-and my sense of smell is better than a normal human's. That and instincts kicked in, so..." I gave a shrug and a smile, hoping to cheer her up. I should be the only one upset about the scrim.

Nalini gave a polite smile back, but I don't think I cheered her up too much. I gave a small, quiet sigh and kept walking, finally reaching the gym. It must have been later than I thought, because it was absolutely empty. Didn't bother me, though, just meant I could focus all my attention on defeating the evil punching bag army. Nalini was content just watching, so I got the whole floor to myself.

Punching bags, weights, wooden dummies, targets; the enemy forces were large, aiming to overwhelm. I gave them no such pleasure. One by one the enemies fell. I dashed from one group to the next and back again, constantly changing targets and always aiming for lethal blows. I ran through over and over again, changing tactics and combat styles with each run through. Before long, I was panting and sweat was pouring down my body. Nalini, so quiet I almost forgot she was there, watched my every move patiently and intently. I wasn't used to someone watching me while I practiced; there weren't that many people in the forests outside of civilization or on the side roads outside of towns.

Every now and then I'd look over and she'd just be staring back, a small smile on her face. She'd give a little wave, I'd nod in response and get back to fighting. That pattern continued for what felt like a couple hours until Blondie walked in. I didn't notice her at first, but a slow clap from the end of the room gave it away. I retrieved one of my throwing knives from the nearest training dummy absentmindedly played with it as Nalini joined me and we walked over to the short ball of energy.

"Not bad, wolf boy," she said with a playful smile, punching me in the arm. I gave a small shrug in response, returning the smile. "It was okay. I just had to clear my head." Kyra opened the door and gestured for us to leave with a very exaggerated bow, giving a refined, "After you," followed by a small giggle. Nalini stepped ahead, giggling as well, and gave a small curtsy. "Oh thank you, Miss! Fen, my dear, you always have the best butlers! Where ever do you get them?"

"Tsk tsk, Miss Nalini. That would be telling," I responded as I took a step through the door, chuckling myself and reaching back to hold the door for the girls. They took their sweet time, taking turns acting as each others butlers and laughing at each others impressions. I gave a joking sigh, making a show to tap my foot and check my imaginary watch. "You ladies are just so slow!"

"Well, _excuse_ us!" They said together, causing another laughing fit. I let a laugh of my own slip out as well and just let the door go as they finally came through. I was happy the team wasn't too hurt about the loss. It'd help me forget a lot easier.

I walked along with the girls in silence as they talked and joked. Occasionally they'd glance at me and say something, and I'd respond in kind, but I enjoyed listening to them over joining in. I didn't like letting my attention slip far from my surroundings. In the forest, when you were constantly being hunted by Grimm, that got you killed. I wasn't particularly fond of dying. Just listening wasn't that big a deal for me, though. I was so much more content just sitting back and letting others converse.

We reached the door to our room and I let the girls walk in first. The four beds were lined up along the left wall, a bedside table separating the boys and girls from each other. A couple feet of space lay in between each couple to allow for movement, but that was about it. A few cabinets and desks lined the rest of the walls in the small apartment-like room, but it was home. Riley lay asleep in his bed against the far wall and my bed rested beside his, made up perfectly as if I hadn't slept in it yet. Probably because I hadn't.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," I said with a smile and wave as the girls started getting settled. They returned the wave, suddenly sullen at my coming absence. I shut the door and headed for outside. I did the same thing every night: I went outside and watched the moon from the park until I finally fell asleep outside. I didn't have anything against the team, but I wasn't good with people in the waking world, let alone dealing with three while I was asleep.

I was just about to the edge of the park when I heard the sound of footsteps about thirty feet behind me. They were soft and careful, like the person was trying not to be heard. I cracked a smile and turned, causing the owner to stop dead and their tracks. "I can hear you just fine, you know. Come on out, I don't bite. Much." I said the last word quietly to myself and gave a dark smile. It was just a joke, but biting wasn't something I'd avoid. Imagine my surprise when I saw Kyra walk out from the shadows, tugging on her hair as usual.

"What's going on, Blondie?" I asked as she got close. She didn't seem any different than she was a few minutes ago back in the room except for the guilty expression she now wore. I couldn't think of any reason that she'd follow me. Finally, she gave a sigh and spilled her plan.

"I just wanted to see what you did out here," she started. "We've been partners for a few weeks now, and I still feel like I know nothing about you. You don't talk much about yourself, and when you do you do everything you can to steer clear of your past. I just... Wanted to get to know you better. I mean, we're stuck together for the next four years, right? Better to start now than when one of us is dying to a giant Ursa or something."

I let out a sigh and silently chided myself. I'd known I needed to open up soon, but I had no idea it was that important to her. I looked at the blonde girl in front of me, who I'd really come to respect the past few weeks for her skill and dedication, and I looked at what my secrecy had done. She had turned her head, started biting her lip, and was still tugging on her bangs. She gave a shrug and turned. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't-" I grabbed her hand and gently pulled her behind me as I started walking. "Hey, where are we going?" She asked. It was late, the moon was well above our heads, and it was cold. She probably wanted to get back in bed and she thought this could wait until later. But I'd just worked up the nerve to show her this, and I was afraid I'd never get another chance at the rate I was progressing. "Are you okay if we leave school ground for a while?" Confused, she gave an enthusiastic "Hell yeah." I gave a small smile and turned. "Good. I want to show you something."

We walked. For how long, I'm not exactly sure. The moon had risen and was well overhead by now. The sun in contrast, had sunk below the horizon about the time we started this trek. Beacon was far behind us now, and I only imagined what the teachers would say if they found out we left school grounds. It wasn't exactly allowed for students to casually walk off school grounds, let alone at night with all the "scary" monsters out. They'd deal, though. This was important.

The foliage we pushed through was thick and well-grown. We had ventured far off the paths and side roads to get here. This far out of civilization a Grimm attack was a constant threat, but we pushed on. I was determined to visit this place at least one more time. Even more so now that I was bringing a friend. Friend? It felt weird to think about that word. I guess anything would after avoiding society for your entire life.

"Fen?" I nearly jumped at the soft voice that squeaked out behind me. "Sorry for the wait, Kyra. We're here." I pulled back the last few branches in front of me and trudged out of the forest into a large clearing. It was round, about one hundred yards in diameter. The full moon shone brightly throughout the field, lighting up the foliage and small structures in the center of the plain. The grass we stepped on was overgrown. It insisted upon eating our boots and reaching up for our ankles as we stepped forward. The smell of smoke had died away years ago, but it came rushing back to me as we neared the center. Kyra, who had been silent since we stepped inside, finally spoke.

"...What is this place? What are we here for?" I smiled softly and gently took her hand in mine. The dingy stone slabs sticking up from the ground were much closer now, and I heard a gasp escape her lips as the realization dawned on her. "Fenrir, what is this place?" I stopped and turned to face her, taking a deep breath. "You wanted to know more about me, right? This is it. This is my past. This is my home. This is my family." I stretched out with my arms, gesturing to the graves and the otherwise empty field. She looked around, a sorry look on her face as she took it all in. "...Nobody else? You grew up with... this?"

I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away. My voice cracked as I opened my mouth to speak, "Not exactly." I cleared my throat and started again. "There was someone else who raised me, but he's gone too. I've been on my own for almost three years now." I attempted a shrug and smile, but it looked so much more pitiful with my head turned and shoulders slumped. I sighed and sat down next to the nearest grave, a simple cross with a necklace tied around it. A thin metal wolf head, a symbol of our clan, hung from the metal chain. I felt my body begin to shake and I clenched my fists, trying to stop it before it got too far. I felt my eyes watering, but I wiped them away before they could spill over. "Hey, Kyra? I'd like you to meet someone," I called back to the small blonde girl who had been watching me carefully.

She slowly sat down next to me, looking at the grave I was intently looking at. "Hello?" I said to the gravestone, "Can you hear me?" I knew I wouldn't get an answer, but it made me feel a little better. Kyra went along with it as well, thankfully, so I didn't feel too crazy. "Kyra Zantarius," I finally blurted out before the tears came back, "I'd like to introduce you to my mother." She gave a small smile, taking my hand in hers again with a polite squeeze. "It's nice to meet you, Ma'am. I'm Kyra. I promise I'll take good care of your little boy. He's been a handful so far, but I think he'll come around soon enough." I smiled and silently thanked her for being so open to this. I don't know what I would've done if she wasn't.

"So... You wanted to hear about my life, right?" I said, turning to face her. She gave a nod, smiling. "Everything." I nodded back, took a deep breath, and began speaking.


	9. Scars of the Past

**Kyra**

A long time ago, not long after man was born from Dust, there lived a group of faunus who feared the Grimm. This was before dust weaponry existed, so man had no truly reliable way to fight the dark. These faunus banded together, outside of the oppression of the "normal" humans, under the rule of an elite group. For the first times in their lives, these faunus felt powerful. They weren't being controlled by the dark, they were controlling their brethren. As this slowly seeped in, they demanded more and more from those who were too scared and weak to fight for themselves. The elite turned their brothers into slaves, allowing them no rest in the fight against the Grimm. The weak were slowly and systematically slaughtered by the Grimm, sacrifices for the "good of the group," yet no one with any connection to the elite were ever chosen to fight. Eventually, dust weapons were created and humanity stood a chance against the dark. As less and less "slaves" died, the elite's rules became more and more restrictive. Curfew came earlier, meals were cut, and sleeping hours were halved. Exhaustion and starvation wrecked the few who survived the constant battles with the Grimm. The future was bleak.

But then, a beaten and bloody faunus returned from battle. Alone. His body shook with exhaustion and his sunken eyes stared deep into empty space. He couldn't have been older than fifteen. He was a widely-known faunus who was generally regarded as a coward and a weakling, but no one had ever seen him like this. The crowd was watching intently as this wounded creature trudged through the encampment, never saying a single word, until he stopped in the center, just outside of the elitists' tent. Unnerved by the silence outside, they came, one by one, to stand in front of this boy until all ten of them filled the small camp center. The boy drew his weapon, and the elite all laughed. What had they to fear? This boy was the least skilled fighter in their land, he had no friends or family to back him up, and he'd never even found his aura. The leader stepped forward and drew his own weapon, towering over the boy. A cocky insult roared from deep within the elite's throat as he pushed the boy over. His friends laughed and shouted insults of their own as the boy's shaking grew more and more intense. Angry, the boy's once wheezing breath grew to a harsh gasping as a growling sounded from deep inside of him. The hoarse sound grew as the boy stood and stepped back to the giant that pushed him down. The man spit taunts and laughed insults, his friends howling with laughter behind him, until a loud snap came from the man and his laughter was abruptly cut short.

His body fell to its knees and collapsed onto the ground, its head limply hanging from its broken support until it slammed into the ground. Stunned, everyone stared at the boy. His fists were clenched and held at his sides, the shaking surprisingly absent, and his eyes were hidden under his unkempt hair. Something new, though, was the living nightmare that surrounded his body. An abyss formlessly emanated from his body, appearing almost as an aura, but how could that be? Aura's were proof that humanity was righteous, that they had a soul. No human's soul could be this broken and tainted, yet there it was. The elite, who once prided themselves on never being afraid, cowered in fear. The boy stepped forward, raising his arms not for the dull katana that hung loosely from his waist, but towards the men who ruled him with an iron fist. One by one their bodies crumpled as the darkness slithered from the boy and crushed their windpipes. The ruthless elite that had tormented the weak for so long had dropped instantly before the newfound power of the boy. As the sight sunk into the crowd, the boy wordlessly turned and left the camp.

Whether for atonement or for fear of living without being led, those that bullied the boy most, wolves just like him, followed him out into the world. Completely accepting of them, he started his own clan, vowing he wouldn't become what had previously ruled him. Regarded as an amazing leader, only the death of his wife caused him grief in his rule. The "Dire Wolf," as he was nicknamed, led his people against the Grimm until his eventual and inevitable passing. His descendants, though, did not share his fortune. The "Legacy of the Wolf" cursed every child who shared the name of the Dire Wolf, whether succumbing to madness, anger, grief, or any combination thereof, causing them to strikeout against the clan. It's this reason and this reason alone that those who share the name are tormented by their own. Looked at with disgust and fear for the future deaths they'll cause, the Dire Wolves are shunned from their people as children; shunned from the only family they could ever know. Legend has it, though, that one Wolf won't succumb to the power and will instead save the the rest of those he loves.

With this knowledge, a young Fenrir vowed that he'd be the one to break the cycle. So he had no friends. So everyone but his mother and sister thought he would doom them all. So everyone hated his very existence. He would prove them wrong. At least, that's what he thought until his fifth birthday. On that day, everything he loved was burned, murdered, raped and pillaged before his eyes. His home was destroyed, he was wounded, and the only person who ever loved him was cut down. He fell unconscious from blood loss, and woke up hours later far away. His wound was stitched and his father and sister sat opposite him. When he asked about the clan, his father only shook his head. This was the first and last time his father ever let him show weakness and cry. His father refused to show compassion, as always, and Fen slowly began adjusting to his new life.

Ten years. He spent ten years living in a forest, only entering civilization when absolutely necessary, with only his father and sister for company. One night during a full moon, while his father and sister were out hunting, he found his father's old journal and began reading the last entry, sharing the same date as the night he lost his family. As he read, waves of emotions flowed throughout his body. Had he read that right? He couldn't have. His father wouldn't- No, this couldn't be right. It wasn't possible. He waited until his father returned and confronted him. Nonchalantly, his father told him what he was dreading: He was the reason the village was destroyed. Fen grabbed his weapons and stabbed his father before running off into the forest, not even telling his sister goodbye, eventually beginning to help people he came across until eventually it won him a ticket to Beacon academy.

The wolf in front of me told his story, never once making eye contact or even looking in my direction. His voice was somber and his eyes were shut as he remembered the old tale as well as his own life. He recounted the tale of the Dire Wolf's origins without pause, starting and stopping without so much as changing his position. Only once did he stop talking, and that was after he finished the Dire Wolf's tale and started his. His voice cracked on his first attempt, and he laid back, resting his head in my lap. I welcomed the gesture, going so far as to brush his hair to help him relax. He started again, but his voice was different. Gone was the gloomy, dull tone he took with the previous story, he had taken on one of a cheery yet pained remembrance. His childhood was one of determination to prove everyone wrong, but he lost his purpose with the death of his family. When he reached his father's betrayal, the anger became increasingly evident in his voice, but his voiced did not waver.

I listened to his story patiently, sitting almost completely still for its entirety. He finally opened his eyes when he finished and looked up at me. A small smile grew on his face and he gave a small shrug. "Sorry it isn't the happiest of tales, but you asked." I smiled back, trying to think of how to process all of this. I thought he was a runaway or maybe an orphan (I guess I was partly right in that regard), but I never expected any of this. I thought about my own parents, the support they gave me when I was growing up, when I decided I wanted to be a huntress. I couldn't have made it without them, and here Fen was, living without both and still being able to sit here and smile.

"Could I just take a moment and tell you how absolutely badass you are?" I told him. He laughed, but shook his head. "Enjoying the ears?" he asked, changing the subject. I looked down and noticed I'd been gently rubbing his ears without noticing. I pulled my hands back and apologized, getting another laugh from him, and I could feel my cheeks heat up. He smiled and reached up, cupping my face in his hand and said in a soft voice, "I wouldn't mind it if this happened more often." I was a little confused by what he meant. Petting? I could pet him more, sure, but why the hand? It wasn't that touching of a moment for him, was it? Wait, he lived without friends for his entire life, maybe it was to him. Maybe I was his first friend and this was just his weird way of asking to continue being his friend? I looked at his expecting look and thought, and thought, and thought. Then it hit me, and I felt my face grow hotter than it already was.

"Uh, Fen?" I stammered, "You just shared something about yourself, so could I share something with you?" I was a little nervous, but I didn't really know how else to tell him. He took his hand away slowly and looked at me a little confused, but he nodded anyways. "I, um, I haven't told this to anyone before, okay? I just. Um. It's not that I don't like you, because I do, I just don't like you. No! That's not what I mean! I mean that if circumstances were different I would totally consider dating you but I can't because of reasons and things and-" "Kyra!" he interrupted me, "Just slow down, take a moment to collect your thoughts and tell me when you're ready."

I nodded and took several deep breaths. I hadn't even told my parents before, let alone some guy I'd known for only a few weeks. But Fenrir had told me his entire life story just because I was curious. I could tell him this when he asked a very legitimate question. My heart was racing in my chest, but Fen's soft gray eyes were strangely relaxing. A few more deep breaths and I managed to finally stammer out my secret. "I'm... I like girls, Fen."

Only a moment of silence passed by, but it felt like an eternity. I could hear my heart hammering harder and harder in my chest and tears began welling in my eyes. What if he didn't like me now? What if I was a freak to him? I'd only known a few other people like me, and the kids at school had always picked on them. Would Fen leave too? The thought of losing my best friend, even if we didn't always get a long, felt like a knife had been driven into my heart and twisted. I wanted to pull my hair. I wanted to bite my lip. I wanted to pace. I was so nervous and scared my body felt like it was ripping itself apart with worry. I looked back down at him, afraid he'd be angry. He gave a small sigh and clicked his tongue.

"Damn." He gave me a small smile and stood up, offering me his hand. "Ah, well. Got anyone in mind?" I locked eyes with him, and he just continued flashing his smile. He... Wasn't mad. He didn't hate me. Wiping my eyes, I took his hand and stood up, walking back to the edge of the forest with him. "No... No one in particular just yet." He gave a knowing nod and we walked in silence through the forest. We hadn't let go of each others' hands, and I was glad for that. It was the only thing keeping me from shaking and doing my usual habits. So much adrenaline had entered my bloodstream, I just knew I wasn't going to sleep for a week. That had never been a problem in the past, but I usually wasn't this worked up.

He gave my hand a squeeze, pulling me back from my thoughts. I smiled and gave one back. "...Hey, Fen?" I asked softly. He cocked his head towards me, not saying a word. "Thank you." He pulled his head back, chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Don't mention it, Blondie." I felt a slight tinge of blush brush along my cheeks at the nickname. He'd given it to me weeks ago, back when we weren't so close, but it'd grown on me since then, and hearing it coupled with his laugh told me that we both belonged here, and we belonged together; As students, as hunters, as partners, as best friends. We belonged.


End file.
